Complaints Procedure

Scope and Purpose

This Complaints Procedure applies to concerns or complaints related to the editorial policies, procedures, decisions, or actions of the Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (JHRS).

The journal welcomes complaints as an opportunity to improve editorial quality, transparency, and accountability. All complaints are handled promptly, fairly, objectively, and confidentially, with due respect to both complainants and those who are the subject of a complaint.

This procedure applies only to matters within the responsibility of the editorial office, including editorial processes and published or submitted content.

Definition of a Complaint

For the purposes of this procedure, a complaint is defined as:

  • An explicit expression of dissatisfaction by a complainant regarding an editorial process, decision, or conduct; and
  • A concern that goes beyond routine scholarly disagreement (e.g., disagreement with reviewers’ opinions or editorial decisions), and instead alleges:
    • a failure of editorial process (e.g., unreasonable delay, lack of transparency, inappropriate communication), or
    • a serious error of judgment, ethical concern, or procedural irregularity.

Types of Complaints Considered

JHRS considers complaints related to, but not limited to, the following issues:

  1. Authorship disputes
  2. Allegations of plagiarism
  3. Duplicate, redundant, or simultaneous submission/publication
  4. Misappropriation of research results or data
  5. Allegations of research misconduct, errors, or fraud
  6. Violations of accepted research or publication standards
  7. Undisclosed conflicts of interest
  8. Reviewer bias, inappropriate conduct, or conflicts of interest

How to submit a complaint

Handling of Complaints

  • Complaints are normally handled by the relevant member of the editorial team.
  • If the complaint cannot be resolved at that level, it will be referred to a Section Editor or the Executive Editor, as appropriate.
  • Complaints falling outside the editorial scope of JHRS will be forwarded to the relevant institutional or administrative authority, where applicable.
  • Complaints concerning editorial matters submitted to the publisher or governing bodies will ordinarily be referred to the Editor-in-Chief, who holds full responsibility for editorial content.

Timelines and Communication

  • All complaints will be acknowledged within three (3) working days.
  • A substantive response will normally be provided within four (4) weeks.
  • If additional time is required, an interim response will be issued within four weeks, with further updates provided until resolution.

Escalation Process

  • If the complainant is dissatisfied with the initial response, they may request escalation to the Executive Editor or Editor-in-Chief.
  • If the complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief, the matter will be reviewed by an independent senior editorial representative or journal governing body, to ensure impartiality.
  • Decisions made at the final internal stage are considered final within the journal’s governance structure.

External Guidance and Ethical Frameworks

JHRS is not a member of external oversight bodies, but its editorial policies and procedures are informed by internationally recognized best-practice guidelines, including:

  • Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors – ICMJE)
  • Ethical guidance and flowcharts published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

These resources are used as guidance only, to support fair and consistent editorial decision-making.

Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Expressions of Concern

Corrections

If a significant error is identified in a published article that affects accuracy but not the overall conclusions, a corrigendum or erratum may be issued. Corrections are published as separate notices and clearly linked to the original article.

Retractions

Articles may be retracted where findings are invalidated due to major errors, research misconduct, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other serious ethical breaches. Retraction notices are clearly labeled, permanently linked to the original article, and transparent to readers and indexing services.

Editorial Expressions of Concern

An editorial expression of concern may be issued when serious doubts exist regarding the integrity of an article, but an investigation is ongoing or inconclusive. Such notices are clearly identified and linked to the affected publication.

Commitment to Integrity

JHRS is committed to safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record. Any confirmed inaccuracies, misleading statements, or ethical violations are addressed promptly, transparently, and proportionately, in line with international editorial best practices.